This is a quick write piece that I wrote in my journalism workshop last week. We had about ten minutes to write about an anecdote, including two paragraphs of introduction/storytelling and two paragraphs of reflection. It's silly but I haven't put anything on here for awhile... so why not?!
Third grade was a pivotal year for me--I mastered multiplication up to four, I learned that gay meant something other than happy, and I got hit in the head with a dodgeball by my crush, which of course meant he liked me. I was young and free with only one problem-- I did not have reading glasses. It wasn't that I needed reading glasses, but my cool friend Kristen had arrived at school one day with the cutest tortoise shell Laura Ashley glasses and I knew I had to have some too. I asked her how she had gotten them:
"Mrs. Burke noticed that I was squinting in class. She told my mom and we went to the doctor and he said I needed them. I really don't though."
She as in denial and I was green with envy. That day, I made a point to squint every time my teacher looked at me, which was often because I was raising my hand at every opportunity so that she would notice me squinting. My efforts paid off and she asked me to stay behind after class. I stood next to her desk casually, trying to hide my sincere glee as she wrote what was bound to be an urgent letter informing my parents of my blindness and urging them to get me some glasses-- Laura Ashley, preferably, with tortoise shell frames.
When we got to the eye doctor my mom was pleased to see that I passed the first few sight tests easily; the death grip on her credit card must have released considerably. I knew time was running out--the last sight test was upon me and I had to make it count. I missed a whole line on the chart. The doctor gave me an opportunity to try the line again, and again I failed to respond with the letters in their proper order. The doctor told my mom that he couldn't figure out what had happened on the last test; I had gotten several other lines with much smaller fonts correct. He prescribed very mild corrective lenses that he said I should only use when reading. I cherished my beautiful, well-earned Laura Ashley glasses for a good three days before I became embarrassed to wear them in class. Mrs. Burke would tell Kristen and I to put on our glasses every day during free reading, until the day, a few weeks later, when I respectfully informed her that my corrective lenses had done the trick and I no longer needed their aid.
In retrospect, I was a devious, superficial eight year old. Now, I embrace my good vision because I am one of the few people I know who is not bothered with contact lenses and lens cleaner on daily basis. I do occasionally wish I had a pair of glasses to make me look pensive and well-read, but I realize that it would be ridiculous and expensive to indulge such a petty desire.
As I have gotten older I have learned to appreciate the parts of my life that are in perfect working order, rather than hoping for some obscure ailment for people to acknowledge and pity. Third grade taught me that there is always more to look forward to. I went on to master complex multiplication AND division, and I learned that being bombarded by your crush is not the best foundation for a relationship. Such clarity could only come from experience and I still have my tiny Laura Ashley glasses to remind me to appreciate the good things in life and to be grateful for what I have.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Bring on the Cheese!
WARNING: The following blog post may be cheesy. Approach with caution.
I try to avoid highly sentimental and/or cheesy blogs, because I tend to think that people don't really like to read about other people's epiphanies (or maybe just mine). But I'm in a grateful mood so I felt like sharing some perspective.
For those of you who know me, you probably know that I try very hard to avoid making mistakes at all costs. Not that anyone tries to make mistakes (I don't think anyone does anyway...), but I really HATE making mistakes. Most of the time I feel like mistakes are avoidable. If you know that you shouldn't do something, it's usually pretty easy to acknowledge that beforehand and not put yourself in a bad position where you are likely to make a mistake. But, while mistakes are often hurtful and typically avoidable, they do have one quality that I appreciate: Mistakes are educational. If you make a mistake, you are being given the opportunity to learn from it. The guilt or dissatisfaction that you feel after making a mistake is sometimes enough to keep you from making the mistake again, and that is a wonderful thing about life. You will not be condemned for every mistake you make, only if you fail to learn from the mistake and use your knowledge in future endeavors.
Some mistakes are bigger than others and harder to rectify, but if handled properly, you may be able to show people that what you did really was a mistake; one that you will do your best to never make again. In order to correct your mistakes, you must acknowledge that it was in fact, a mistake. Some people are unable to do this, and it takes them much longer to learn their lesson. One of the hardest things in life to do is to admit that you were wrong. People do NOT like to be wrong, and they especially do not like to admit when they're wrong. If you are able to admit it, however, you will reap the rewards. You will earn the respect of your peers, co-workers, teachers, and family members if you are able to admit your errors and do your best to fix them.
I am grateful that my parents taught me to be honest, and to admit my mistakes. They also raised me not to regret things, but to learn from them and make the best of all situations. I am grateful for those lessons above all, and for the kindness shown by those who have forgiven me for the mistakes I've made in my life. As much as I hate to admit that I have made mistakes, I am willing to do so because I've learned from them and they will make me a better person in the future.
I hope that you all are as lucky as I have been in my life, and I hope that you're able to forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made in your life; because if you can't forgive yourself for your mistakes, how will anyone else?
I try to avoid highly sentimental and/or cheesy blogs, because I tend to think that people don't really like to read about other people's epiphanies (or maybe just mine). But I'm in a grateful mood so I felt like sharing some perspective.
For those of you who know me, you probably know that I try very hard to avoid making mistakes at all costs. Not that anyone tries to make mistakes (I don't think anyone does anyway...), but I really HATE making mistakes. Most of the time I feel like mistakes are avoidable. If you know that you shouldn't do something, it's usually pretty easy to acknowledge that beforehand and not put yourself in a bad position where you are likely to make a mistake. But, while mistakes are often hurtful and typically avoidable, they do have one quality that I appreciate: Mistakes are educational. If you make a mistake, you are being given the opportunity to learn from it. The guilt or dissatisfaction that you feel after making a mistake is sometimes enough to keep you from making the mistake again, and that is a wonderful thing about life. You will not be condemned for every mistake you make, only if you fail to learn from the mistake and use your knowledge in future endeavors.
Some mistakes are bigger than others and harder to rectify, but if handled properly, you may be able to show people that what you did really was a mistake; one that you will do your best to never make again. In order to correct your mistakes, you must acknowledge that it was in fact, a mistake. Some people are unable to do this, and it takes them much longer to learn their lesson. One of the hardest things in life to do is to admit that you were wrong. People do NOT like to be wrong, and they especially do not like to admit when they're wrong. If you are able to admit it, however, you will reap the rewards. You will earn the respect of your peers, co-workers, teachers, and family members if you are able to admit your errors and do your best to fix them.
I am grateful that my parents taught me to be honest, and to admit my mistakes. They also raised me not to regret things, but to learn from them and make the best of all situations. I am grateful for those lessons above all, and for the kindness shown by those who have forgiven me for the mistakes I've made in my life. As much as I hate to admit that I have made mistakes, I am willing to do so because I've learned from them and they will make me a better person in the future.
I hope that you all are as lucky as I have been in my life, and I hope that you're able to forgive yourself for the mistakes you've made in your life; because if you can't forgive yourself for your mistakes, how will anyone else?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Cotillion Update!
The 3rd grader known as "Timmy" in my last blog changed his tune at the last cotillion.
I saw him the moment he walked in. There he was, acting all nice and innocent. When the kids were numbered off I kept an eye on him to see if he tried to switch numbers with anyone, in case he had ended up in my group again. He looked suspicious, but did not try to switch numbers with anyone. That was a good sign. He did not end up in my group, but I was told to tell his group of children what to expect as they approached the snack table on this particular day. They were to introduce their partner, thank the snack patrons for inviting them to the cotillion, and tell the patrons what they would be doing for their "Winter Break" (I prefer to call it Christmas Break but soon found that children who do not celebrate Christmas were confused, and I had to correct myself by saying, "Oh. I mean WINTER Break." I miss the good old days.)
I walked up to "Timmy" and his partner and tried to act casual. He gave me a look like "C'mon you. You know me!" So I looked at him and said, "Hi 'Timmy.'" I was very casual. Very cool. He said hi and started GUSHING about his pets and his partner's pets and how "[His] best friend is dancing with [his] MORTAL ENEMY!" It was precious. And I felt silly for getting flustered over an 8-year-old.
That's my story.
I saw him the moment he walked in. There he was, acting all nice and innocent. When the kids were numbered off I kept an eye on him to see if he tried to switch numbers with anyone, in case he had ended up in my group again. He looked suspicious, but did not try to switch numbers with anyone. That was a good sign. He did not end up in my group, but I was told to tell his group of children what to expect as they approached the snack table on this particular day. They were to introduce their partner, thank the snack patrons for inviting them to the cotillion, and tell the patrons what they would be doing for their "Winter Break" (I prefer to call it Christmas Break but soon found that children who do not celebrate Christmas were confused, and I had to correct myself by saying, "Oh. I mean WINTER Break." I miss the good old days.)
I walked up to "Timmy" and his partner and tried to act casual. He gave me a look like "C'mon you. You know me!" So I looked at him and said, "Hi 'Timmy.'" I was very casual. Very cool. He said hi and started GUSHING about his pets and his partner's pets and how "[His] best friend is dancing with [his] MORTAL ENEMY!" It was precious. And I felt silly for getting flustered over an 8-year-old.
That's my story.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Happy Reminder
So tonight, as I shuffled busily around my place of employment serving fantastically profitable amounts of alcohol to my party of 30, Boyfriend reminded me that I have this blog! I tend to forget about writing on here, but each time I remember, I vow to improve my loyalty to my beloved blog. So once again, I will say that I WILL TRY to be a better blogger!
In other news, I started assisting at a local cotillion/school of etiquette last night and it was so much fun! The kids were all so cute, doing their little formal introductions, and tiny merengue dance steps! I did, however, scare a child.
The evening began with the 3rd-4th graders. We numbered both the boys and the girls off one to four and told the children to go the corner with the corresponding number. From there we had the girls get into a circle facing outward and the boys get into a circle facing inward toward the girls. My group was short a girl, so I stepped into the girl's circle. As I expected, none of the boys wanted to be partnered with me for too long, but most of them were relatively nice about it. They would quietly tell the boy next to them "I hope we rotate soon..." but they made the effort to spare my feelings about the matter. All except for "Timmy" (Name has been changed... just because I felt like changing it). "Timmy" did NOT want to be my partner. Unfortunately for him, I ended up being his partner for snack time. This meant that he would have to offer me his right arm, take my gloves (if I had been wearing any), introduce me to the Snack Patrons, get me a snack, and converse with me for the ten minute snack period. He wouldn't have any of it. Reluctantly, he offered me his arm, and I tried to assuage his disappointment by telling him that unlike the other boys, he didn't have to take my gloves, because I didn't have any! This did not make him happier. We waited in the line--almost silently, except for my futile attempts to make small-talk-- until we made it to the snack table. The Snack Patrons prompted "Timmy" to introduce his partner to them, to which he said, "I don't have a partner." He kept his head down all the while, as he poured himself some lemonade and grabbed himself a cookie. The patrons, bless their hearts, tried once more to get him to perform properly, and they asked him if he would like to offer his partner a snack. He simply said, "Nope," and walked away.
I was not going to give up. I followed him to his seat and sat down beside him as he scooted as far away from me as he possible could get on his two foot-wide seat. He tried to talk to the couple next to him, who clearly sympathized with his having to be paired with one of the patrons. So I talked with them. The other little girl was perfectly amicable while the other boy made a point not to make eye contact with me. "Timmy" begged the girl to switch seats with him so he could sit next to the other boy, which she politely did. The girl was nice and tried very hard to make me feel better about the situation, but then she decided that it was best to return to her proper seat and follow the rules that had been set forth by the coordinators. So "Timmy" slunk back into his seat beside me. I tried again:
Me: "'Timmy' why won't you talk to me?"
"Timmy": "Because you're scary!"
Me: "Oh I'm not scary. I really don't mean to be scary."
::SILENCE::
Me: "So 'Timmy,' do you play any sports?"
"Timmy": "Soccer."
Me: "Oh I love soccer! I used to play every year. What position do you play?"
"Timmy": "Defense. And offense."
Me: "It sounds like you like to play all over. Do you like to play midfield?"
"Timmy": "Yes."
Me: "Midfield was always my favorite position."
"Timmy": "I don't like it."
Me: "Oh okay. So how old are you 'Timmy'?"
"Timmy": "Almost nine."
Me: "Wow, that's cool! I'm 20."
"Timmy": "THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SO SCARY!"
Luckily, at this time they called the end of snack and said that we were about to begin dancing. As I expected based on his snack time behavior, "Timmy" did not want to dance with me. He would not grab my hand and he would not move his feet as the dance instructor began explaining the simple steps of the merengue. I told "Timmy" that he didn't have to hold my hands, but I tried to get him to move his feet. He wouldn't. Well, that's incorrect. He DID move his feet, but only to get as far away from me on the dancefloor as he possibly could. I finally decided to recruit another patron to get him to dance so that I would not scar poor "Timmy" any more on his first day of cotillion. He was a very cute boy and I am determined to become his friend within the next 6 months of classes! I guess I'll just have to be less "scary"-- less... 20.
In other news, I started assisting at a local cotillion/school of etiquette last night and it was so much fun! The kids were all so cute, doing their little formal introductions, and tiny merengue dance steps! I did, however, scare a child.
The evening began with the 3rd-4th graders. We numbered both the boys and the girls off one to four and told the children to go the corner with the corresponding number. From there we had the girls get into a circle facing outward and the boys get into a circle facing inward toward the girls. My group was short a girl, so I stepped into the girl's circle. As I expected, none of the boys wanted to be partnered with me for too long, but most of them were relatively nice about it. They would quietly tell the boy next to them "I hope we rotate soon..." but they made the effort to spare my feelings about the matter. All except for "Timmy" (Name has been changed... just because I felt like changing it). "Timmy" did NOT want to be my partner. Unfortunately for him, I ended up being his partner for snack time. This meant that he would have to offer me his right arm, take my gloves (if I had been wearing any), introduce me to the Snack Patrons, get me a snack, and converse with me for the ten minute snack period. He wouldn't have any of it. Reluctantly, he offered me his arm, and I tried to assuage his disappointment by telling him that unlike the other boys, he didn't have to take my gloves, because I didn't have any! This did not make him happier. We waited in the line--almost silently, except for my futile attempts to make small-talk-- until we made it to the snack table. The Snack Patrons prompted "Timmy" to introduce his partner to them, to which he said, "I don't have a partner." He kept his head down all the while, as he poured himself some lemonade and grabbed himself a cookie. The patrons, bless their hearts, tried once more to get him to perform properly, and they asked him if he would like to offer his partner a snack. He simply said, "Nope," and walked away.
I was not going to give up. I followed him to his seat and sat down beside him as he scooted as far away from me as he possible could get on his two foot-wide seat. He tried to talk to the couple next to him, who clearly sympathized with his having to be paired with one of the patrons. So I talked with them. The other little girl was perfectly amicable while the other boy made a point not to make eye contact with me. "Timmy" begged the girl to switch seats with him so he could sit next to the other boy, which she politely did. The girl was nice and tried very hard to make me feel better about the situation, but then she decided that it was best to return to her proper seat and follow the rules that had been set forth by the coordinators. So "Timmy" slunk back into his seat beside me. I tried again:
Me: "'Timmy' why won't you talk to me?"
"Timmy": "Because you're scary!"
Me: "Oh I'm not scary. I really don't mean to be scary."
::SILENCE::
Me: "So 'Timmy,' do you play any sports?"
"Timmy": "Soccer."
Me: "Oh I love soccer! I used to play every year. What position do you play?"
"Timmy": "Defense. And offense."
Me: "It sounds like you like to play all over. Do you like to play midfield?"
"Timmy": "Yes."
Me: "Midfield was always my favorite position."
"Timmy": "I don't like it."
Me: "Oh okay. So how old are you 'Timmy'?"
"Timmy": "Almost nine."
Me: "Wow, that's cool! I'm 20."
"Timmy": "THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SO SCARY!"
Luckily, at this time they called the end of snack and said that we were about to begin dancing. As I expected based on his snack time behavior, "Timmy" did not want to dance with me. He would not grab my hand and he would not move his feet as the dance instructor began explaining the simple steps of the merengue. I told "Timmy" that he didn't have to hold my hands, but I tried to get him to move his feet. He wouldn't. Well, that's incorrect. He DID move his feet, but only to get as far away from me on the dancefloor as he possibly could. I finally decided to recruit another patron to get him to dance so that I would not scar poor "Timmy" any more on his first day of cotillion. He was a very cute boy and I am determined to become his friend within the next 6 months of classes! I guess I'll just have to be less "scary"-- less... 20.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sore.
Three nights in a row of 6 hours of serving plus two hours of softball and going on 1-2 walks per day, while getting very little if any sleep has left me a bit tired and sore.
But luckily everything else is beautiful at the moment! It's a gorgeous, sunny day and I will most definitely be spotted lounging around the pool reading "Down and Out in Paris and London" within the next two hours :)
But luckily everything else is beautiful at the moment! It's a gorgeous, sunny day and I will most definitely be spotted lounging around the pool reading "Down and Out in Paris and London" within the next two hours :)
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
3 Hours and counting...
Some people might say that I'm pathetic for sitting at home on a Friday night, eating Dove chocolate and Jolly Ranchers and watching the Disney channel. Lucky for me, I have an excuse! As I mentioned in my last post... BOYFRIEND COMES HOME TONIGHT! I turned in my last poetry essay, took my poetry final, washed my car, got the sparkling cider and champagne for my WONDERFULLY ROMANTIC scheme tonight, and I had RA for dinner :) Today is basically the best day ever!
I do have a moderately exciting story from today as well!
As I'm driving home from school, I come across a small queue of about three cars that seem to be stopped at a green light. I began pressing down on my brake pedal about 100 feet behind the car in front of me and come to a stop a safe distance away. Had I been in a hurry I probably would have changed lanes and avoided having to wait behind the stopped cars altogether, but I was in a good mood, a good song was playing, and I wasn't in any rush. I had been stopped for all of five seconds when I look into my rearview mirror and see a cream-colored '66 Mustang driving full speed towards me. I saw the old man's face as he realized that my car was not moving, and he quickly pulled the e-brake and fish tailed to avoid rear ending me. My heart stopped. I can only imagine what his poor old heart was doing. Luckily there was no one behind him or to the right of him, so his maneuver didn't affect anyone. It's times like those that you realize how lucky you really are. Worst case scenario the man could have slammed into me, causing me to hit the car in front of me, possibly causing any other number of cars to hit each other (yeah, he was going THAT fast) and any one of us could have been seriously injured. I drove away from that intersection feeling even more refreshed than I did yesterday when I had had no "near-death" experiences.
I attribute my good fortune to my safety shell. If you're ever in my car feel free to ask me about it. I'll show you :) It has protected me since I was sixteen (aka no accidents/tickets/etc.)
Good story. I know.
I do have a moderately exciting story from today as well!
As I'm driving home from school, I come across a small queue of about three cars that seem to be stopped at a green light. I began pressing down on my brake pedal about 100 feet behind the car in front of me and come to a stop a safe distance away. Had I been in a hurry I probably would have changed lanes and avoided having to wait behind the stopped cars altogether, but I was in a good mood, a good song was playing, and I wasn't in any rush. I had been stopped for all of five seconds when I look into my rearview mirror and see a cream-colored '66 Mustang driving full speed towards me. I saw the old man's face as he realized that my car was not moving, and he quickly pulled the e-brake and fish tailed to avoid rear ending me. My heart stopped. I can only imagine what his poor old heart was doing. Luckily there was no one behind him or to the right of him, so his maneuver didn't affect anyone. It's times like those that you realize how lucky you really are. Worst case scenario the man could have slammed into me, causing me to hit the car in front of me, possibly causing any other number of cars to hit each other (yeah, he was going THAT fast) and any one of us could have been seriously injured. I drove away from that intersection feeling even more refreshed than I did yesterday when I had had no "near-death" experiences.
I attribute my good fortune to my safety shell. If you're ever in my car feel free to ask me about it. I'll show you :) It has protected me since I was sixteen (aka no accidents/tickets/etc.)
Good story. I know.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Life should have a "refresh" button.
There has been something about this week that has been oddly refreshing. It could be because of the fact that despite the oodles and oodles of things I've had on my agenda (daily)I haven't felt stressed. I've forced myself to stay awake all day (meaning none of the naps I love so dearly) in order to be productive. I've been more actively engaged in school, my sorority, and my family life this way. It's weird how the busier you are, the happier you seem to be. You would think that a busy person would knock himself out trying to do EVERYTHING and be EVERYWHERE at the same time, and that having a full schedule would be tiresome-- but it's oddly refreshing.
The other refreshing aspect of this week could be due to the fact that Boyfriend will be coming home TOMORROW and I successfully avoided getting sick all week! [I felt the sickness coming on last Friday, so I let myself sleep approximately 30 hours over the weekend to get my energy levels back up. I also have been taking my Esberitox every day, as well as daily multi-vitamins, using the Neti pot, and avoiding milk products.]
It's a weird coincidence but every time Boyfriend is close to coming home either he gets sick, or I do. Without fail. OR on the off chance that neither of us gets sick before he gets home, one of us gets sick WHILE he's home, which is even worse. No matter. This time will be different. We will both be healthy and happy and productive and everything will be wonderful!
But before he gets home I have to write a poetry essay, study for my poetry final, turn in my essay and take my final, finish the part of his belated Valentine's gift that I'm making, buy the part of his belated Valentine's gift that I'm buying, buy a Coke in a glass bottle, buy champagne and some Martinelli's, and wash my car.
::Refresh::
The other refreshing aspect of this week could be due to the fact that Boyfriend will be coming home TOMORROW and I successfully avoided getting sick all week! [I felt the sickness coming on last Friday, so I let myself sleep approximately 30 hours over the weekend to get my energy levels back up. I also have been taking my Esberitox every day, as well as daily multi-vitamins, using the Neti pot, and avoiding milk products.]
It's a weird coincidence but every time Boyfriend is close to coming home either he gets sick, or I do. Without fail. OR on the off chance that neither of us gets sick before he gets home, one of us gets sick WHILE he's home, which is even worse. No matter. This time will be different. We will both be healthy and happy and productive and everything will be wonderful!
But before he gets home I have to write a poetry essay, study for my poetry final, turn in my essay and take my final, finish the part of his belated Valentine's gift that I'm making, buy the part of his belated Valentine's gift that I'm buying, buy a Coke in a glass bottle, buy champagne and some Martinelli's, and wash my car.
::Refresh::
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Death by Peanut Butter.
If you've been hip to the latest news, you may be aware that there have been over 400 salmonella-related illnesses in the U.S., and three deaths. What do all of the victims have in common? They have all consumed peanut butter. Now before you run to your cupboard and evict your jar of peanut butter, you may be interested to know that most of the cases involved peanut butter that was distributed from food service providers, not directly to consumers. King Nut and Parnell's Pride peanut butters and suspected to be the culprits. Two years ago, ConAgra recalled Peter Pan Peanut Butter for causing over 650 cases of salmonella food poisoning in almost every one of our 50 states.
I was thankful to find that my favorite peanut butter brand's (Skippy) reputation appears to remain untainted, and I intend to continue eating the Duane ____ Burger as often as possible.
In lighter news, the mayor of Guanajuato has declared Mexico City the "kissing capital of the world." He did not do this to encourage romantic PDA, however. He did it to prove that he had not, in fact, placed a ban on kissing in public as it had been rumored. He set an ad campaign in motion with a picture of a couple kissing that says, "Guanajuato, the kissing capital." This is a sweet idea and all, but couldn't he have just denied the kissing prohibition? Does he need a full-fledged campaign to prove he's not the anti-cupid? Whatever his reasons, it looks like Rome and Paris are being given a run for their money ;p ...or not.
I was thankful to find that my favorite peanut butter brand's (Skippy) reputation appears to remain untainted, and I intend to continue eating the Duane ____ Burger as often as possible.
In lighter news, the mayor of Guanajuato has declared Mexico City the "kissing capital of the world." He did not do this to encourage romantic PDA, however. He did it to prove that he had not, in fact, placed a ban on kissing in public as it had been rumored. He set an ad campaign in motion with a picture of a couple kissing that says, "Guanajuato, the kissing capital." This is a sweet idea and all, but couldn't he have just denied the kissing prohibition? Does he need a full-fledged campaign to prove he's not the anti-cupid? Whatever his reasons, it looks like Rome and Paris are being given a run for their money ;p ...or not.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
The Funny Thing About the Flu
The flu does a lot of things to a person. There are the obvious symptoms: congestion, cough, sore throat, all over body aches, fatigue, etc.
But beyond the less than pleasurable symptoms of the flu, you may find yourself deliriously hopeful of doing two things: 1) being outrageously productive in the downtime you now find yourself with since you have missed all of your classes for the day or 2) wanting to sleep the day away, turn off your phone and become a complete recluse.
Well I have found myself feeling both extremes in the now three days that I have been sick. Sleeping has, of course, gotten quite old and I daresay I will most likely avoid sleep at all costs for the first week of my improved health. Perhaps two weeks. I also have fluctuated through the cycle of wanting to be productive and rationalizing that I needn't be, because, well, I am sick after all. I have work to do for all four of my classes and I feel that it would be advantageous to my mental health (though maybe not my physical health) to get it done. Advantageous or not, I predict that I will get very little done in the coming hours of illness and I probably also will not sleep.
A third symptom of sickness has suddenly become apparent. The desire to watch endless hours of television while snuggled comfortably in my bed drinking ginger ale and texting all of the exciting folks who are out living their exciting lives on a Saturday night.
The third will reign victorious tonight.
But beyond the less than pleasurable symptoms of the flu, you may find yourself deliriously hopeful of doing two things: 1) being outrageously productive in the downtime you now find yourself with since you have missed all of your classes for the day or 2) wanting to sleep the day away, turn off your phone and become a complete recluse.
Well I have found myself feeling both extremes in the now three days that I have been sick. Sleeping has, of course, gotten quite old and I daresay I will most likely avoid sleep at all costs for the first week of my improved health. Perhaps two weeks. I also have fluctuated through the cycle of wanting to be productive and rationalizing that I needn't be, because, well, I am sick after all. I have work to do for all four of my classes and I feel that it would be advantageous to my mental health (though maybe not my physical health) to get it done. Advantageous or not, I predict that I will get very little done in the coming hours of illness and I probably also will not sleep.
A third symptom of sickness has suddenly become apparent. The desire to watch endless hours of television while snuggled comfortably in my bed drinking ginger ale and texting all of the exciting folks who are out living their exciting lives on a Saturday night.
The third will reign victorious tonight.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Bizzwords
I got an e-mail from my dad that contained a little snippet from a review of a book by "Mr. Bergman." In it, he mentions a few words that I definitely think should become a part of everyone's daily life when they become part of the workplace.
chainsaw consultant, "an outside consultant brought in to fire employees"
brightsizing, "downsizing by laying off the brightest workers"
layoff lust, "the desire to be fired from one's job"
to Nasdaq, meaning "to sharply decline in value or quantity."
bozo explosion, "a rapid increase of incompetent employees at a particular company" mucus trooper, "an employee with a cold or the flu who insists on showing up for work"
prairie-dogging, "the sudden appearance of people's heads over the top of the cubicle walls when something interesting or noisy happens."
jetiquette, the flyers' code of polite behavior.
clickstream, "the virtual path a person takes while surfing the Web"
Zen mail, "an e-mail message without text or attachments"
Dorito syndrome, dissatisfaction felt after wasting time surfing the Net and accomplishing nothing
"There are also a number of entries whose business connections are tenuous. For example, negative patient outcome (the patient died) is medical jargon. Voluntary simplicity (avoiding luxury and pretense) smacks of New Age patois. And ohnosecond -- "the little bit of time it takes you to realize that you've just made a huge mistake" -- has far too much potential to be confined to the workplace."
My favorites are bozo explosion and mucus trooper. C'mon, you know we've all tried to think of what to call those people that make you gag day after day with their constant sniffing and hocking. Ta-da! Now if we could only introduce these people to another highly used bit of necessary jargon. Antibiotics.
chainsaw consultant, "an outside consultant brought in to fire employees"
brightsizing, "downsizing by laying off the brightest workers"
layoff lust, "the desire to be fired from one's job"
to Nasdaq, meaning "to sharply decline in value or quantity."
bozo explosion, "a rapid increase of incompetent employees at a particular company" mucus trooper, "an employee with a cold or the flu who insists on showing up for work"
prairie-dogging, "the sudden appearance of people's heads over the top of the cubicle walls when something interesting or noisy happens."
jetiquette, the flyers' code of polite behavior.
clickstream, "the virtual path a person takes while surfing the Web"
Zen mail, "an e-mail message without text or attachments"
Dorito syndrome, dissatisfaction felt after wasting time surfing the Net and accomplishing nothing
"There are also a number of entries whose business connections are tenuous. For example, negative patient outcome (the patient died) is medical jargon. Voluntary simplicity (avoiding luxury and pretense) smacks of New Age patois. And ohnosecond -- "the little bit of time it takes you to realize that you've just made a huge mistake" -- has far too much potential to be confined to the workplace."
My favorites are bozo explosion and mucus trooper. C'mon, you know we've all tried to think of what to call those people that make you gag day after day with their constant sniffing and hocking. Ta-da! Now if we could only introduce these people to another highly used bit of necessary jargon. Antibiotics.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Twilight
I am finally getting around to reading the first book in the Twilight series! I read the second one in the beginning of my senior year but I just now got around to reading the first. My inspiration? I want to have all the books read before the movie comes out (and also because I saw it on display at my school's bookstore for 20% off the display price... only SEVEN dollars!). I really can't stand it when a movie ruins the essence of a book. I find that if you've read the book first and the movie is awful, at least you know that you can always return to the beloved text version of the story. But if you see the movie and THEN read the books, you are often forced to think of all the characters in terms of how they are portrayed in the movies and these depictions more often than not are different from how your imagination would create them to be.
So I am reading the book first! Unfortunately, I know who is going to be playing Edward (the really gorgeous guy who plays Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!) so I already am starting to envision him in the role. Sad.
So I am reading the book first! Unfortunately, I know who is going to be playing Edward (the really gorgeous guy who plays Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!) so I already am starting to envision him in the role. Sad.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Springtime!
It is officially Spring! I realize that technically it has been Spring since whenever the hedgehog... wait no, it's a groundhog, so since whenever the groundhog poked his little head out to announce the arrival of springtime. Not really sure when that was to tell you the truth. What's the difference between a groundhog and a hedgehog anyway? As far as I know hedgehogs do not live in hedges (the only ones I have ever known of lived in Alli's house actually) and I have never seen a hog in the ground. Who names these animals??
Anyway, the first day of Spring Quarter is tomorrow and I am stoked. Why am I stoked you ask? Because I am determined to be SO organized and SO on top of things this quarter that I cannot help but get ALL A's! Yes, that's right. I'm aiming high.
I'll keep you posted on the likelihood of me actually achieving my goal.
HAPPY SPRING!
Anyway, the first day of Spring Quarter is tomorrow and I am stoked. Why am I stoked you ask? Because I am determined to be SO organized and SO on top of things this quarter that I cannot help but get ALL A's! Yes, that's right. I'm aiming high.
I'll keep you posted on the likelihood of me actually achieving my goal.
HAPPY SPRING!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Cheerful post!
I didn't like having a negative post as my last post... so I decided to write a cheerful one to top it off!
I'm in a good mood! I have Fruit Punch Gatorade and I'm having a wonderful week with Boyfriend and I went to Disneyland and Malibu and Balboa and I'm going to a Ducks game tonight and the super secret Valentine's Day date is in THREE DAYS and basically... everything is wonderful!
Yay for happiness!! Eat your heart out negative blog post.
P.S. There will be a post about Malibu, with some of the wonderful pictures that we took that day :)
I'm in a good mood! I have Fruit Punch Gatorade and I'm having a wonderful week with Boyfriend and I went to Disneyland and Malibu and Balboa and I'm going to a Ducks game tonight and the super secret Valentine's Day date is in THREE DAYS and basically... everything is wonderful!
Yay for happiness!! Eat your heart out negative blog post.
P.S. There will be a post about Malibu, with some of the wonderful pictures that we took that day :)
Monday, March 03, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Porgy and Bess
Back in the day when I would hear mention of "Porgy and Bess" I had no idea what people were talking about. Not only did I not know what they were talking about, but I actually suspected that it had something to do with a pig and a cow (I heard "Porky" and Bess, not Porgy). Turns out the story doesn't have anything to do with farm animals! I just thought this was an interesting fact. I now know that it is a folk opera (not to be confused with an "opera") written by the infamous George Gershwin. I feel very enlightened!
Off topic. I think I am going to begin another blog. The subject is yet to be determined. I'll keep you... blogged? Haha ♥
Off topic. I think I am going to begin another blog. The subject is yet to be determined. I'll keep you... blogged? Haha ♥
Monday, February 25, 2008
15 Minutes Means So Much.
I have found myself with 15 minutes of free time. This has not happened in I don't know HOW long! I'm sitting outside my lecture hall, having finished the assignment that isn't due until 4pm! That's pretty good for me, as I usually wait until the last possible moment to start such things. But I'm done! I just got a chance to catch up some e-mails and my dad sent me the link to this really great website! So I'm sharing it with you.
Check it out!
Basically you just put in your birth date and it tells you a world of information about yourself! Including the approximate day of the week you were conceived and how old you are in dog years! (I am still but a negative exponent)
It's fun. I recommend that you check it out.
Off to class! What a wonderful 15 minutes it has been :)
Check it out!
Basically you just put in your birth date and it tells you a world of information about yourself! Including the approximate day of the week you were conceived and how old you are in dog years! (I am still but a negative exponent)
It's fun. I recommend that you check it out.
Off to class! What a wonderful 15 minutes it has been :)
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Myspace Is Your Space
So today I got to work, after having a particularly stressful morning taking care of my sick mother. I say it was stressful because I would have much rather stayed to take care of my mother than go to work, but my dad and aunt were able to stay with her so she was well taken care of. My amazing manager Kris (28, successful, blonde hair, blue eyes, 68" High Def television) allowed me to come in 45 minutes late to work until someone could be with my mom. When I got there Kris had already done all of my opening sidework (thank you Kris!) and all I had to do was cut bread and put out butter. How nice!
There was no host today, so we servers seated customers ourselves in our sections. A man walked in by himself and most servers do not like to take single parties (smaller checks I suppose...) but I like solos, so I greeted him and sat him in my section. Little did I know that this man was the founder of myspace! (No, he's not Tom or Chris, the two guys who came up with the idea and were the essential brains of the operation.) This man owns and operates the media company under which myspace was run. HOW EXCITING! I didn't know that he was who he was, but he looked familiar so I made a point of looking at the name on his credit card. B_____ B_____. I assumed he was a football player because he looked like he could have been and the name fer sure seemed like a pro athlete. So I got home and googled him and found out who he was... so so SO exciting! And for the record, he tipped me very well. Hope he comes back!
There was no host today, so we servers seated customers ourselves in our sections. A man walked in by himself and most servers do not like to take single parties (smaller checks I suppose...) but I like solos, so I greeted him and sat him in my section. Little did I know that this man was the founder of myspace! (No, he's not Tom or Chris, the two guys who came up with the idea and were the essential brains of the operation.) This man owns and operates the media company under which myspace was run. HOW EXCITING! I didn't know that he was who he was, but he looked familiar so I made a point of looking at the name on his credit card. B_____ B_____. I assumed he was a football player because he looked like he could have been and the name fer sure seemed like a pro athlete. So I got home and googled him and found out who he was... so so SO exciting! And for the record, he tipped me very well. Hope he comes back!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Caught!
So the other day as we were on our first of two weekend phone dates, the boyfriend found my blog.
Now, I'm not entirely sure how he came upon it, because he CLAIMED it came up on the 15th page of the google search for Emmanuel Lewis. I know, this whole thing sounds entirely random, but I didn't believe him so I proceeded to copy the google search and went the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th pages to see if there was any possibility that he was telling the truth. Nothing. So I think he was trying to fool me and really he just typed my name (or some variant of my name) on google and it came up.
Either way, he knows about it and regardless of whether or not he'll ever look here again, I thought it should be known that another person has sneakily discovered my blog (which is far less exciting that Miss Alli's, for she is much better at maintaining her blog than I am).
So boyfriend, if you are reading this... HI! If not, then I'll tell you hi next time I talk to you :)
It's Christmas Break! I'm stoked. ♥
Now, I'm not entirely sure how he came upon it, because he CLAIMED it came up on the 15th page of the google search for Emmanuel Lewis. I know, this whole thing sounds entirely random, but I didn't believe him so I proceeded to copy the google search and went the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th pages to see if there was any possibility that he was telling the truth. Nothing. So I think he was trying to fool me and really he just typed my name (or some variant of my name) on google and it came up.
Either way, he knows about it and regardless of whether or not he'll ever look here again, I thought it should be known that another person has sneakily discovered my blog (which is far less exciting that Miss Alli's, for she is much better at maintaining her blog than I am).
So boyfriend, if you are reading this... HI! If not, then I'll tell you hi next time I talk to you :)
It's Christmas Break! I'm stoked. ♥
Monday, November 12, 2007
Procrastination Proclamation
If I know that I'm procrastinating does it make it better or worse for me?
On the pro side, I tend to work best under pressure with the clock ticking.
On the con side, I stress myself out when I don't allow myself to be productive.
I went to Six Flags today for the first time EVER! It was great (except for the part where the security people stole my flower highlighter, fat sharpie, and tiny keychain sharpie for "graffiti prevention" as I entered the park. Bad first impression.). Tatsu is my favorite ride cause it feels like you're FLYING and it's amazing. Deja Vu hurt my head like none other. X hurt pretty bad too but it was fun besides the splitting headachiness. Goliath was pretty darn fun too, that is a FABULOUS roller coaster. It was good to get to hang with Ben and Ryan again, I've missed them dearly :(
Thanksgiving is in a week and two days! People are starting to return home on SATURDAY which is in four days, and I seriously cannot WAIT! Although i will be very busy until that time with server training/shadowing, school, and making a paddle for my Big Sis (whom I love dearly, even though she led me to believe she was NOT going to be my big)
Can I fast forward to Saturday please? Great. Thanks.
And for the record, I have decided that as long as I know and acknowledge the fact that I am procrastinating it's not such a bad thing, because I am not lying to myself and pretending to be productive. At least I realize that I am a ridiculous silly fool lacking the motivation to write an essay about Descartes...
On the pro side, I tend to work best under pressure with the clock ticking.
On the con side, I stress myself out when I don't allow myself to be productive.
I went to Six Flags today for the first time EVER! It was great (except for the part where the security people stole my flower highlighter, fat sharpie, and tiny keychain sharpie for "graffiti prevention" as I entered the park. Bad first impression.). Tatsu is my favorite ride cause it feels like you're FLYING and it's amazing. Deja Vu hurt my head like none other. X hurt pretty bad too but it was fun besides the splitting headachiness. Goliath was pretty darn fun too, that is a FABULOUS roller coaster. It was good to get to hang with Ben and Ryan again, I've missed them dearly :(
Thanksgiving is in a week and two days! People are starting to return home on SATURDAY which is in four days, and I seriously cannot WAIT! Although i will be very busy until that time with server training/shadowing, school, and making a paddle for my Big Sis (whom I love dearly, even though she led me to believe she was NOT going to be my big)
Can I fast forward to Saturday please? Great. Thanks.
And for the record, I have decided that as long as I know and acknowledge the fact that I am procrastinating it's not such a bad thing, because I am not lying to myself and pretending to be productive. At least I realize that I am a ridiculous silly fool lacking the motivation to write an essay about Descartes...
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